Only one in three UK consumers say they are familiar with smart tech

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New research from Harris Interactive has found a significant gap between consciousness and familiarity among UK consumers about smart tech.

According to the study, of more than 4000 people, 99% of consumers in the UK are now aware of smart tech, but just 33% have an advanced familiarity with it. The results indicate that greater development is needed for boosting usage of smart tech and its understanding.

The report also found a similar trend in Internet of Things (IoT), with 48% aware of it but just 13% feeling very familiar with it. It is also worth noting that knowledge about both smart tech and IoT is highest among the younger demographics, with 28% of people in the 25-34 age group being very familiar with IoT and 68% of people in the 16-24 age group expressing familiarity with smart tech.

The findings suggest that there may be a correlation between consumers who grew up exposed to rapid technological development, and their comprehension of this technology. This is supported by the results of another part of Harris Interactive's research. Here, respondents were asked about their perceptions regarding 49 smart products, ranging from smart washing machines to wearables.

The report found that perception was strongest about technologies that are already normalised, such as smart televisions (95%) and online banking (99%). However, perceptions were low for less common items, such as connected sockets (47%) and smart coffee machines (48%).

Consumers cited lack of knowledge for their limited use and adoption of certain items, such as smart home hubs (30%), connected cars (30%) and retina-based security (33%). Despite this, 42% of those familiar with virtual reality headsets were excited about it, as well 36% of those familiar with drone powered delivery.

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